Nara was a lot of fun and I want to go again! We went to Todaiji and saw a LOT of deer. That's all we did. Well, and look at shops and stuff. Todaiji holds the Daibutsu, which is the biggest statue of Buddha. It was absolutely amazing to see in person and I'd definitely go again so I could stare at it in awe longer. Here's some pics:
The below is the boddhisattva on the left side (left when you're facing Buddha). The one below that is on the other side.
Below is some pics of the deer that literally wander the sidewalks and everywhere else, except for the streets. They're always looking for food handouts, and you can buy "senbei" from the various people standing around. You can actually pet the deer, they're very docile, except if they think you have food. Then they'll almost kind of stalk you and keep trying to get at the food. They're not usually really mean, just annoying. Like when my friend and I were attempting to sit and eat our ice cream. They're all about the size of large dogs, actually.
Last week was fairly uneventful, I think. And then this last Saturday we had a field trip for my Buddhism class, which means we went to Kyoto and visited the temple called Nishi-Honganji. The other temples and shrines I've been to have all been beautiful and amazing, but for some reason this one was really beautiful and awe-inspiring. Maybe it's because we had a tour guide that told us tons of stuff about it. Well, so basically after we went there, we kind of split into two groups and I ended up with the one that went with the professor, who's really fun, and we went to a Japanese tea and sweets shop. It was a bit expensive, but I think it was worth it. I had to leave before everyone since I have a host family and I hadn't been able to tell them I'd be late coming back, but then, I don't drink and they all went to a pub type of thing, and then I guess an anime shop and an arcade and then a traditional Japanese arcade, so I would've liked to gone to everything but the pub, I guess. Still, the time I had there was still tons of fun! So, here come the pics. Oh but first, there are some pics I can't post online because they're national treasures, so...sorry.
I think that really was it, though. Though maybe I'll finally make a post explaining the airports and stuff more, along with what to pack or not pack. Coming soon: a detailed insight on what to bring or not bring with you!